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Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Pranayama class - Day 2

I arrived on time, 10 min too early to be precise, but my pranayama teacher was already there. He was sitting on the table. Yes "on". Imagine such a picture in one of the Western countries.

The class is getting better and better. Today we did not only theory, but practice. This means he was sitting on the table, while I did asanas, pranayama, meditation on my mat. He was probably watching me, but I was focused on my practice, so I do not really know. I already know that he will change my routines.

Do not go beyond your capacity, but do your practice systematically. I guess this was a most important sentence for me.

The recommended sequence:

1. So I started: I sat on my mat comfortably and looked into a candle in front of me, remembering myself, that I was going to do my spiritual practice.

2. Then was the time to show respect to the teachers. We chanted together.

3. Asanas followed. He gave me a sequence. Vinyasas should be done when necessary, but it is not necessary to do them that often like in Ashtanga.

4. Then we did pranayama: today I had to do uddjay breathing 10 rounds. I looked at the candle when I did this.

5. As meditation we chanted 3 times Aum together.

6. After all that he recommended to do some stretching on the mat, to move the body a bit so that the joints feel well.

Important is the breathing when doing the asanas.

Make a little pause between inhaling and exhaling, he recommended. Do not mix it. This little pause really makes a difference.

The recommended sequence of the asanas:

1. Surya namaskara A and B

2. Parivritta trikonasana

3. Prasaritta padottanasana

4. Parsvottanasana

5. Paschimottanasana

6. Purvotanasana

7. Ardha baddha paschimottanasana

8. Triang mukha paschimottanasana

9. Marichyasana a,b,c

10. Garbha pindasana, kukkutasana

11. Badha konasana

12. Janu Sirsasana

13. Virasana, supta virasana (to sit between the legs, to lay on the back)

14. Sarvangasana, halasana, chakrasana

15. Setu pindasana, parsve dhanurasana, sirsasana

16. padmasana, baddha padmasana, yogamudrasana

17. Padmasana - time to start pranayama

It is shorter than the Ashtanga practice and the vinyasas can be omitted. It feels nice.

Take your time till you start your duties. To go from the inside to the outside takes some time.

The most amazing experience was how my breath improved when I made a little pause between inhaling and exhaling. The teacher also emphasized that the movement follows the breath and not the other way round.

wow, I love all these asanas which you mention, but one asana I found very hectic, and that's Chakrasanawell rest all are my favourite, I feel very energetic after doing them.http://www.gurumaa.comhttp://www.spiritualguidedmeditation.comhttp://www.yogawonders.com